By Eniola Amadu
Two NHS trusts have been removed from the government’s review into maternity failings across England.
The trusts in Shropshire and Leeds were initially among 14 selected for the government’s rapid review into “system failures,” but officials have since confirmed their exclusion.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) was withdrawn following “discussions with West Mercia Police” regarding the details and timetable of an ongoing investigation, a move that has left affected families in the county dismayed.
Meanwhile, the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTH) was removed after the Health Secretary announced a separate maternity inquiry on Monday.
The national NHS review is expected to urgently assess the poorest-performing maternity and neonatal services in England and deliver its findings by December.
North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan criticised the decision, questioning how “a review into maternity care in the UK doesn’t think it can learn from one of the most detailed investigations into failings at a maternity unit spanning decades.”
In Leeds, a BBC investigation previously found that the deaths of at least 56 babies and two mothers at LTH over the past five years may have been preventable.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting expressed his hope for families to uncover the truth on what went wrong in their care from the Leeds-focused inquiry.
After unannounced inspections raised concerns that women and babies were “at risk of avoidable hard”, the trust’s maternity units were downgraded from “good” to “inadequate” earlier this year.
The trust informed the BBC it was already “taking significant steps to address improvements” through a statement.
In 2022, a review of maternity care in Shropshire, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, found that catastrophic failings may have contributed to the deaths of more than 200 babies and nine mothers, while leaving several infants with life-changing injuries.
The West Mercia Police launched a separate investigation in 2020 to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges against the trust or any individuals involved.
Earlier this year, the force confirmed it had begun interviewing current and former staff members as part of its ongoing inquiry.
